Category: Photography

The Myth and Reality of Shooting in Manual Mode

I’ve heard it. You’ve heard it. And it’s a great big steaming pile of…baloney.

Myth – Professionals Only Shoot in Manual Mode

I recently read an account of a new photographer who heard that “expert” photographers only shoot in manual mode, so he headed out to shoot. Camera firmly set to M, he shot away, happy as could be. However, the results from that first exploration were, needless to say, disappointing; overexposures, under-exposures, and a lot of crappy, blurred photos.

I had about 10 seconds to make this image of a grove of Baobabs in Botswana. Had I been fiddling with finding the right manual settings, I likely would have missed the shot.

Here is the reality: Professionals and other experienced photographers use just about every shooting mode on their camera.

Those modes are there for a reason. Settings provide simplicity, speed, flexibility, or full control. Depending on the conditions in which you are shooting, any one of these may be appropriate. While other articles here at dPS discuss how to use each of the settings on your camera, I want to talk about the myth of Manual Mode, but also why it’s important to use it

Moving subjects and quickly shifting scenes are not conducive to manual mode.

The Professional Reality

Try shooting on full manual control while making images of birds in flight. Go on, try it. I’ll wait.

On the off chance that you actually went out and tried that exercise, I suspect you ended up with a lot of really bad photos. As birds passed quickly in front of different backdrops, as the sun darted in and out from behind clouds, the lighting conditions were undoubtedly in constant change. To adapt to those changes on the fly would be a nearly impossible task.

Rather, any professional would use one of the other settings. I, for example, would probably choose Shutter Priority mode under those conditions. That would assure I could maintain sharp (or artfully blurred) images as I shot, and leave the decision on aperture up to the camera. If I wanted a brighter or darker exposure I’d adjust the exposure compensation.

Now, if I was carefully shooting a landscape and had a particular vision for the final image, that’s when I’d make the switch to Manual Mode. In manual, I can take full control of the scene. I can adjust the depth of field, the exposure, incorporate blurs, or selective focus. In Manual Mode, I own all aspects of the final image, for better or worse.

My point here is simply this – professionals use all the tools at their disposal. If it were true that pros only use Manual Mode, then pro-level cameras would only have one setting. Quite obviously, that is not the case.

You Still Need to Shoot in Manual

Shoot in Manual Mode, but not all the time. But understanding exposure, focus, shutter speed, and aperture and their effect on the final image is the heart of photography. To master the technical aspects of image-creation, you need to be able to put all these together without the help of your camera.

Manual Mode is perfect for landscape photography because you have the time to dedicate to creating the image you envision.

Manual means full control

I regularly practice the art of manual settings. When a scene is in front of me, I’ll imagine a particular way to portray it. I’ll envision how bright I want the image to appear. I select the focal point, whether motion blur is incorporated or eliminated, and how deep the depth of field should be.

Once I’ve got the image in my mind. I’ll select the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture without using the camera’s light meter to help me. Then I click the shutter and have a look.

This exercise reminds me of light and settings and how the camera works, sure. But more so, it turns every aspect of the image into a purposeful decision. There is no “spray and pray” photography when you are shooting in Manual Mode. Setting your camera to that scary “M” means you grant yourself full control and full responsibility for whatever emerges.

Aurora borealis and most other night photography require the use of Manual Mode.

There is no better way to learn about your camera, light, and about thoughtful photography than to set your camera to Manual Mode, turn off the autofocus, and go make images.

Summary

It’s absolute nonsense that pros only shoot in manual. Utter garbage. Your camera has a bunch of settings for a reason. Shooting in just one would be like only eating one type of food. Each has a purpose, and each has their place in the art of photography.

Purposefully underexposed images are also well-suited to Manual Mode, particularly when you want to retain a shallow depth of field, as I did with this flower image.

However, and this is a big HOWEVER, shooting in Manual Mode may be the best tool at our disposal for turning our photography into a purposeful exercise. Using manual will force you to understand depth, light, exposure, blur, and focus.

So yes, you should shoot in manual mode. Just not all the time.

The post The Myth and Reality of Shooting in Manual Mode by David Shaw appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

December 21, 2017
5 Tips for Killer Macro Backgrounds

You’ve got a perfect macro subject, the perfect angle, and the perfect composition. You’ve checked your focus, and it’s spot on. Your finger hovers over the shutter button. One quick press, and you’ll have the shot. It’s all there before you…right?

Maybe not. There’s one more thing that I’d urge you to check before you shoot – and that is the background.

See, while subject, lighting, and setup matter a great deal in macro photography, the background matters too, far more than people often realize. This is quite understandable; it’s the background. As long as you’ve got the perfect subject, why worry?

But when it comes to macro photography, the background can make or break a shot. You’re often working with a limited compositional palette, of sorts. Lines, colors, shapes; macro photography simplifies things, which is not to say that it makes photography easier. Instead, it magnifies each element, making attention to detail all the more important.

Fortunately, getting good backgrounds is not that difficult. As you start to become conscious of backgrounds and of their importance, your eye will develop. But to jump-start your technique, here are five tips that will dramatically improve your macro images right away.

1. Simplicity is key

I said I’d give you five tips, but this one right here is the big one. This is the starting point that should drive all other background considerations.

When I say simplicity, I’m not necessarily advocating a static, uniform, black or white background (although that can work well). What I mean is that you don’t want clutter. You don’t want a background full of distracting shapes and lines that draw the eye away from the main subject.

For instance, one of my favorite types of backgrounds is just a single color. Nothing fancy, but nothing distracting, either. If you’re shooting in a natural area, maybe you can position yourself so that your subject has some trees behind it. Then you can capture a nice, green wash for your background.

The background here is a simple green, which allows the colorful subject to pop.

And if it’s autumn, even better. The golds of the changing leaves make for some beautiful hues.

Once I found this flower, I shifted my position to include distant trees, which were exhibiting some lovely fall colors.

The key consideration here is that the background isn’t distracting. Aim for the background to complement the subject without overpowering it. In general, you’ll be safe with a uniform wash (but it’s also possible to go with something a little more complex, as you will see in tips four and five below).

2. Achieve good subject-background separation

When it comes to macro photography, sufficient separation between the subject and the background is crucial. That is, you’re going to want to find a subject that is a significant distance away from whatever sits behind it. When you focus on your subject in the foreground, distant background elements will generally become a pleasing blur, creating the solid wash that I discussed above.

So what exactly is a significant distance? In general, this is going to depend on a couple of things.

First, camera to subject distance. The closer your camera is to the subject, the closer the background can be to the subject. If your camera is just five inches from a flower, then you’ll probably be okay with a background that’s only 10 inches behind that flower. However, if your camera is five feet from the flower, then you’re going to need perhaps ten feet of distance between the flower and background.

Second, depth of field is a factor. Briefly, depth of field refers to the amount of the subject that is sharp and in focus, which is altered by widening and narrowing the lens’s aperture.

The shallower your depth of field (achieved by using a wide aperture, generally in the f/1.8-5.6 range), the closer your subject can be to the background, while still allowing for a nice uniform wash. But when you’re using a narrow aperture (e.g., f/8-32), you’ll need to be a lot more careful. Without a large distance between your background and subject, you’ll find that whatever exists in your background (leaves, stems, trees, etc.) will remain well defined, and will, therefore, distract from the subject.

This flower was a few feet in front of the background. The large distance, plus the shallow depth of field at f/2.8, allowed for the background leaves, drenched in evening sunlight, to blur in a pleasing manner.

3. Shoot toward a cloudy sky

This one is easy to pull off, and can result in some really pleasing images. All it takes is a willingness to get low to the ground so that you can place the sky behind your subject. If you take the picture as you normally would, exposing for the main subject, then you’ll find that the background will be rendered as a pleasing, uniform white.

I got down to a level with this subject so that it was positioned just above the horizon, and I could capture clouds as the background.

4. Shoot into the sun

Often, macro photographers like to position the sun behind them, so that the light is coming over their shoulders and falling on the front of the subject. While this can be a great strategy, sometimes switching things up can result in creative effects.

One of the most interesting techniques is to wait until the sun is low on the horizon. Then position the subject between yourself and the sun, get down low, and expose for the main subject. Don’t aim to get the sun in your shot. Instead, try to capture some of that golden light that sits just beside the sun.

I took this image while lying on my front lawn, as the sun sank below the horizon. These colors are essentially straight-out-of-camera.

It’s critical that you do this in the late evening. Any earlier and the sun will be too bright. You won’t get those rich, golden colors, and it will be tough to expose for the main subject.

I’d also urge you to be careful; do not look at the sun through your camera viewfinder. This will be damaging to your eyes. Instead, capture the image while using your camera’s Live View function.

5. Use the surrounding color

While a uniform wash often works quite well as a background, you may want to give your shots something extra. A little bit of pop. That’s where vibrant colors can come in handy.

For now, I’m not necessarily suggesting that you match colors like clothes, nor am I suggesting you use color theory. There’s no need to be that particular, not when you’re starting out. Instead, just try to look for colorful spots in the background, and compose the shot so that the main subject has a bit of color behind it.

For this image, I angled my camera so that a few yellow flowers in the background contrasted with the reds of the subject.

When you’re out in the field, you may not see an abundance of options, but pause and glance around. Try looking through the viewfinder while shifting your camera angle. It may turn out that certain areas become startlingly beautiful once they’re out of focus.

One of my favorite techniques when shooting flowers is to adjust my composition so that a second bloom is a bit behind the first, while shooting with a shallow depth of field. Rendered as an out-of-focus patch of color, this background bloom complements the main subject.

Here I positioned myself so that a second flower, a little behind the first, was rendered nicely out of focus.

In conclusion

Macro photography requires careful attention to your background, but don’t let that hold you back. By achieving good separation between the subject and the background, by shooting toward the sky, the setting sun, or including vibrant colors, and by—above all—concentrating on simplicity, you’ll be well on your way to getting fantastic macro images.

If you have any tips that I didn’t mention here, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

The post 5 Tips for Killer Macro Backgrounds by Jaymes Dempsey appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

December 20, 2017
What is a Circular Polarizing Filter (CPL) and How to Use it
The use of lens filters can transform your photograph completely, as it allows you to go beyond the usual and explore something creative with your gear. Among multiple filters, a circular polarizing filter (CPL) is one such creative tool using which you can enhance the final photo that appears on your camera LCD screen.

A circular polarizing filter is a landscape photographer’s best camera accessory as it allows you to capture vividness and contrast in a photo. I have even used it to capture cityscapes and trust me it completely changes the image once you have it mounted on your camera lens. Having said that, let me take you through detailed uses of a CPL filter.

CPL Filter Enhances the Sky Color

One of the major disappointments while shooting cityscapes is that the color in the sky is not registered in your camera as accurately as it appears to your eyes, right? Even if you are able to match the colors in your photo, you might still find the sky to be dull or hazy.

With the use of a Circular Polarizing filter (CPL) on your lens, you can enhance the colors in the sky as well as the elements in your frame. This is made possible as the CPL filter, when rotated at a particular angle minimizes the haze in the sky and enhances the color by reducing the polarization effect caused by sunlight.

As you can see in the image above, the dome was appearing off-white in color and the sky was appearing a bit too bright. After applying the Manfrotto CPL filter on my Canon 24-70 f/2.8 lens, I was able to correctly expose the dome, the sky had a good amount of contrast and the clouds were also clearly visible.

Here is another before and after CPL filter comparison, let me know in the comments section below which one do you like better.

A CPL Filter Cuts Reflections

While taking photos of glass buildings or landscapes with a water body in the frame, it can be really challenging to get rid of the reflections being caused by sunlight. You might have to change your composition or wait for the light to change in order to get a reflection-free image.

Using a CPL filter can allow you to minimize the mirror image being caused by in the reflective element in your frame. All you have to do is simply rotate the filter to the required angle.

Discussing the two images above, you can clearly see how mounting the CPL filter almost completely eliminates the reflection visible in the water body. Isn’t that magical?

Here is another example of how rotating the CPL filter to the desired angle can allow you to minimize the reflections in any water body in your frame.

How to get the maximum polarization effect?

As the science states, the maximum polarization effect takes place at an angle of 90 degrees from the sun that move in a circular band. This means that if the sun is at the top, you would get equally lit sky if you are shooting at an angle of 90 degrees from the sun.

To get the exact frame where you should be positioning your camera to get the maximum benefit of the CPL filter simply make an “L-shape” using your thumb and the index finger. Just point your thumb towards the sun, and your index finger will give you the angle where you would get evenly lit sky and get the maximum benefit of the CPL filter.

Otherwise, you may get unevenly lit sky in your photos which would be hard to correct later in the post-processing stage.

Things to consider while using a CPL Filter

1 – It cuts the light

As you mount the CPL filter on your camera lens, it cuts some amount of light which may vary from 1-2 stops. It means that if you were earlier shooting at 1/1000th, f/16 and ISO 100, after mounting the CPL filter the exposure would decrease by let’s say 2-stops. So in order to let in 2-stops of more light, you will either have to:
1. Slow down the shutter speed from 1/1000th to 1/250th, or
2. Open up the aperture from f/16 to f/8, or
3. Increase the ISO from 100 to 400
So whenever you plan to use a CPL filter, remember that there is going to be a loss of light and you might have to compensate a bit to get the correct exposure.

2 – Avoid using a wide-angle lens

Using a wide-angle lens can sometimes result in uneven sky color or color variation. The CPL filter is not at fault here, it is because wider focal length would cover more of the sky and as we discussed above the polarization effect is maximum at 90 degrees. Now a wide angle lens would cover more area of the sky, thus resulting in color variations.

To get the maximum benefit and the best result using a CPL filter, try and avoid using a lens wider than 24mm.

3 – Do not always use the maximum degree of polarization

What we usually tend to do is use everything at the maximum value and degree possible, like we do with an f/1.8 or f/1.4 lens, right? You should always rotate the CPL filter 360 degrees and check the level of contrast, saturation, and reflection it is boosting or reducing, and then only decide the degree at which you want to use the filter.

Sometimes using the CPL filter at maximum degree might result in color variation as well, especially while using it on a wide-angle lens.

Conclusion

If you want to learn more about polarizing filters and see examples here are some other dPS articles on the topic:
- When NOT to use a Polarizing Filter
- Circular Polarizers Versus Graduated Neutral Density Filters for Landscape Photography
- How to Make Funky Colorful Images of Ordinary Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter
- Why You MUST Have a Polarizer
- The Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography
The post What is a Circular Polarizing Filter (CPL) and How to Use it by Kunal Malhotra appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
December 20, 2017
How to Create Powerful Travel Photos that Will WOW Your Friends [2 Days Only]
Have you ever said ‘This is nothing like what I saw!’ when looking at the images you took of a trip?

Travel Photographer of the Year (and dPS Book Author) Mitchell Kanashkevich has created an amazing “Behind the Scenes” photography course that’s a blueprint for creating power photographs.

It’s all about helping you to capture the magic of the experiences you have when travelling and come home with images that will wow your family and friends.

For the next 48 hours, as an exclusive offer to dPS readers, he’s offering his course at 70% off the normal price.

That means for the next 2 days you can get his beautifully crafted travel photography course for $ 39.95 instead of $ 129.97.

In this online Course you’ll Learn:

How to search for that amazing photo (includes the first obvious question that’s rarely asked)

The truth about compositional rules and more organic and fluid ways of looking at composition

Why being a photo sniper makes no sense in the digital age

The crucial factors that make the difference between a great photo and one that falls short

Can a great image be the result of an accident? (Confession time, but it’s not what you might think)

The practical approach to capturing the moment

… and much more

Mitchell provides an over the shoulder editing experience as well as providing RAW files, so you can practice the same techniques on them in post-processing.

Check out the full course outline here.

… you only have 48 hours (and counting) though, so be quick.

Bonus Offer from our Partners

Anyone who picks up any of the great deals this week also unlocks some great bonus deals from our partners.

For example if you pick up Mitchell’s course today you’ll get access to KelbyOne annual membership at 20% off the normal price. Access our exclusive Partner Bonus Offers here.
Christmas Deals:
Bonus Offers

Brought to you by

The post How to Create Powerful Travel Photos that Will WOW Your Friends [2 Days Only] by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
December 19, 2017
How to do Powerful RAW Conversions with Luminar 2018
One of the most powerful new filters in Luminar 2018 is the RAW Develop Filter. RAW files, straight out of the camera, appear flat and boring, but with capable RAW conversion software like Luminar 2018, you can transform the RAW data into a detailed and vibrant photograph.

Luminar 2018’s RAW handling has seen significant improvements over previous versions. It performs faster and the tools in the RAW Develop Filter reveal additional details in the highlights and shadows, display more accurate color, and reduce noise.

LUMINAR 2018’S RAW DEVELOP FILTER

The RAW Develop filter is organized into three categories:
- Adjust – Essential Color and Tone Adjustments.
- Lens – Remove Image flaws caused by the lens.
- Transform – Correct perspective issues caused by the camera’s physical position.
These three tool sets form a powerful triad for correcting many of the problems encountered with unprocessed RAW image files.

QUICK TIP: JPG Shooters get access to the same tools in the Develop Filter.

ADJUST

The Adjust tab inside the RAW Develop filter contains fundamental color and tone adjustments. Settings include:
- White Balance – Choose from white balance presets that are similar to the settings in your camera.
- Temperature – Warm up (yellow) or cool down (blue) the color temperature of the photo.
- Tint – Correct color casts by adding magenta or green.
- Exposure – Adjust the overall luminance of the photograph.
- Contrast – Adjust the overall contrast of the photo.
- Highlights – Adjust the brightness of the brightest areas of the photo.
- Shadows – Adjust the brightness of the darkest areas of the photo.
- Whites – Adjust the white point of the histogram and white tones in the photo.
- Black – Adjust the black point of the histogram and black tones in the photo.
- Clarity – Adjust mid-tone contrast.
LENS

The Lens tab in the RAW Develop filter allows you to fix flaws caused by the lens. Settings include:
- Distortion – Correct barrel or pincushion distortion.
- Chromatic Aberration Fix – Correct for color fringing along high contrast areas.
- Devignette – Remove darkened edges caused by lens vignetting.
TRANSFORM

The Transform tab in the RAW Develop filter allows you to compensate for perspective problems caused by the position of the lens at the time of capture. Settings include:
- Vertical – Tilt the image forward or backward on the X-axis (helpful with key-stoning).
- Horizontal – Tilt the image right or left on the Y-axis (helpful when shooting at an angle from the subject).
- Rotate – Useful for straightening a photo.
- Aspect – Expand the height or width while contracting the opposite direction.
- Scale – Use to hide the edge gaps after transforming a photo.
- X Offset – Shifts the image left or right.
- Y Offset – Shifts the image up or down.
HOW TO PROCESS RAW IMAGES IN LUMINAR 2018

Open your photograph in Luminar, navigate to the Add Filter button and click on RAW Develop in the ESSENTIAL category. The interface is intuitively designed, suggesting the order in which to make your adjustments:
- Step 1 – Adjust
- Step 2 – Lens
- Step 3 – Transform
EXAMPLE 1

RAW/Unprocessed (© Angela Andrieux)

Straight out of the camera, the photo above was somewhat flat and slightly underexposed.

After Luminar 2018 RAW Develop: Adjust + Lens (© Angela Andrieux)

In the Adjust tab of the RAW Develop filter, small adjustments to the Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, and Clarity make subtle, but noticeable, improvements to the photograph.

In the Lens tab of the RAW Develop filter, a small adjustment was made to remove the lens vignette from the corners.

EXAMPLE 2

RAW/Unprocessed (© Angela Andrieux)

The photo above, in its unprocessed state, has blown out highlights, an unpleasant pink color cast, barrel distortion, and a slightly awkward perspective.

After Luminar 2018 RAW Develop: Adjust + Lens + Transform (© Angela Andrieux)

With the help of the Adjust panel in the RAW Develop Filter, the color cast was removed, the highlights were toned down with some detail recovered, and architectural details were enhanced.

The Lens panel in the RAW Develop filter fixed a slight lens distortion and removed chromatic aberrations.

This photograph had significant chromatic aberrations in the high contrast areas. Notice the patches of sunlight in the “Before” image below – each sunlit spot has a greenish fringe around the top and a magenta fringe at the bottom. The Chromatic Aberration Fix sliders did a great job of minimizing the unwanted color fringe.

QUICK TIP: Zoom in to 200-300% to check for chromatic aberrations in high contrast areas.

Before Luminar 2018 RAW Develop Lens Correction (zoomed to 200%) (© Angela Andrieux)

After Luminar 2018 RAW Develop Lens Correction (zoomed to 200%) (© Angela Andrieux)

The Transform panel in the RAW Develop filter corrected for a slight upward tilt of the camera when the photo was captured and straightened the vertical lines.

EXAMPLE 3

RAW/Unprocessed (© Angela Andrieux)

The unprocessed RAW photo above has a color cast, is underexposed, lacks detail and contrast, and has both lens distortion and perspective issues caused by a wide-angle lens. The tools in Luminar 2018’s RAW Develop filter corrected each of these issues.

After Luminar 2018 RAW Develop: Adjust + Lens + Transform (© Angela Andrieux)

The Adjust tab of the RAW Develop filter corrected the color cast and white balance issues, increased the exposure, added contrast and brought out detail in the shadows under the pier and movement in the water.

The Lens tab of the RAW Develop filter made easy work of correcting the substantial lens vignetting, removing some barrel distortion, and cleaning up the chromatic aberrations around the pier pilings (high contrast areas).

The Transform tab of the RAW Develop filter straightened the horizon and the legs of the pier, correcting for both the position of the camera and the distorting effect of a wide-angle lens.

Conclusion

Each example above shows the power of the RAW Develop Filter in Luminar 2018. A RAW image file contains an abundance of data, but it takes a skilled photographer and a high-quality RAW conversion tool like Luminar 2018, to turn those files into beautiful photographs.

LUMINAR 2018 HOLIDAY SPECIAL OFFER

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Get Luminar with an awesome pack of bonuses, plus get an extra $ 10 OFF with the coupon code: DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHYSCHOOL.

Disclaimer: Macphun, soon to by Skylum, is a paid partner of dPS.

The post How to do Powerful RAW Conversions with Luminar 2018 by Angela Andrieux appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
December 19, 2017
How to Use Natural Light for Macro Photography

I have to admit that the sun is one of those things in life that intrigues and fascinates me. When I was a kid I remember laying on the floor looking at the sky, watching the sun changing its position during the day and casting different types of shadows and reflections.

Natural light is the term we use in photography to refer the light of the sun. This, as opposed to artificial light that is usually created by the transformation of electricity into light through the use of light bulbs.

Even though natural light has the sun as a starting point, it can look very different depending on many factors. Time of the day, the season of the year, weather conditions and various other circumstances may influence the way sunlight reaches the earth and can be captured in a photograph.

As photographers, it is our job to understand the way it works and make the best out of it. In this article, we will explore the way natural light works and how to apply it in macro photography work. Let’s start with the basics.

Quality of Light

Quality of light is a term usually used by photographers to refer to the “hardness” or “softness” of a light source.

This quality is determined by the way a given light source produces the transitions between the highlights and shadows.
Soft light produces smooth transitions, while hard light produces abrupt transitions between the tonal areas, therefore giving the image less or more contrast.

The basic principle is: The larger the light source, the softer the light.

This means that sunlight gets softer closer to sunrise and sunset and harder closer to midday, due to the changes of distance between the sun and the earth during the day (and the angle at which it enters the atmosphere).

Left: Image photographed at sunrise. Right: Image photographed at midday.

Direction of Light

The direction of light refers to the position of the light relative to the subject. This positioning determines the width of the shadows it casts creating the sense of texture and shape.

The basic principle is: Shadows fall to the opposite side of where the light is located.

Frontal lighting has a flattening effect on most subjects as it casts the shadows on their back, removing the three-dimensional effect.

Side lighting accentuates the texture of the subject as it casts side shadows creating the sense of dimension and volume.

Backlighting creates an outlining effect on the subject separating it from the background, making it more dominant.

Color and Contrast

The color of light, or white balance, and contrast in natural light is mainly affected by two factors:

#1 – Time of day affects the position of the sun. The closer the sun is to the horizon, the less contrast and warmer is the light. This phenomenon happens mainly because sunlight has to cross more atmosphere which gives less contrast and filters the blue light resulting in a yellowish tonal effect. Closer to high noon the higher the contrast and less color variation it has because the sun is further away from the horizon.

#2 – Weather which affects contrast and color of light mainly by the presence of clouds which act like a huge diffuser resulting in less contrast and a blue color cast.

Diffused and Reflected Light

Even though you cannot control sunlight, it doesn’t mean you cannot modify it to suit your needs.

Diffused light is achieved by sending a beam of light thru a semi-transparent surface resulting in lower contrast and feathered edge shadows.

Reflected light is achieved by bouncing the incident light off a reflecting surface onto the subject resulting in a change of direction and intensity of the light.

Tools

Basic tools like reflectors and diffusers are fundamental resources for natural light photography. Even though there are a lot of macro photography dedicated gear options available, if you don’t want to spend your hard earned money on them, you can just build your own with things you probably already have around the house.

Tracing or baking paper and aluminum foil are great materials for building custom diffusers and reflectors. Just cut them to the size and shape that best suits your needs.

Light diffusion materials range from nylon to translucent paper, plastic or acrylic. Here is a good example of a macro shot of a quarter dollar coin with direct side natural light and with tracing paper sheet diffuser.

Left: Direct sunlight from the side. Right: Diffused sunlight from the side.

In this particular situation, the diffuser acted as a light softener and a reflector creating the highlights that give volume to the coin engraving.

Adding more light

Even though sunlight is only one light spot it is easy to simulate additional spots with reflectors. Take a look at this example of an old pocket watch photographed with side natural sunlight.

Even though the light on the watch’s face is good, the rest just fades to black, making it flat. Another light spot would really help to get the right image volume. So we will add a mirror reflection on the opposite side of the main light for better definition of the object.

And here is the final image

That small spot reflection from the mirror on the left side of the image was enough to create the right volume, and give the image depth and ambiance.

These kinds of reflections can be created with different types of materials. A mirror like the one used in this image gives a narrow and intense reflection. While materials like aluminum foil create a broader reflection that can be scattered if you crumple the foil making it reflect light in different directions.

White surfaces like cardboard are also good reflection materials, giving a softer and less contrasted reflection than aluminum foil.

Background Separation

In photography, there are many factors that can influence background separation; focal length, aperture, distance between the subject and its background and lighting.

But because macro photography is such a specific subject that happens in a very small area, all these factors become critical as every small change translates to a big difference in the captured image. Because of the highly enlarged capture area, it becomes very difficult to use a camera handheld. A tripod and a shutter release cable are a must have for macro photographers.

The “Boogie Man” in the macro photography world is without a doubt the depth of field. In most macro circumstances the focus area is so shallow that a minimal change in the distance to the subject or aperture results in failure. This shallow depth of field can also be used as an advantage point to create background separation.

Both of these images were photographed in the same position with a 100mm macro lens. The difference here is the depth of field created by different apertures.

Left: f/32. Right: f/11.

The image on the left gets confused and overcrowded with information. While the image on the right gets separation between the main focus subject and the background making it simpler and more appealing to the eye.

Another way to get background separation is to use the position of the light to create separation.

This image was done using a simple and monochromatic background and backlighting which creates overexposure in the background, making the main subject stand out.

Mixing Natural Light with Flash

Sometimes natural light just isn’t enough for the image you want to create. Mixing natural light with flash is not an easy job, as flash usually overpowers natural light, giving the image an artificial look.

However, mixing the right amount of these too light sources can give some interesting results.

This image was created with the use of a ring flash that created the specular highlights in the water drops, and a longer shutter speed that allowed the background to capture some natural light.

This result could only be achieved by the mix of these two light sources. Using only natural light would result in dull water drops without the flash sparkle, and artificial light background if only the ring flash had been used.

Mixing Natural Light with LEDs

In the past few years, LED light has become a valuable resource for photographers that want to use continuous light but don’t want to deal with incandescent or fluorescent bulbs and all their associated problems.

LEDs are very energy efficient as they convert about 80% of the energy they use into light, while incandescent only converts about 20%. They also don’t generate much heat and are available in many colors.

This image was created with the mix of natural morning light shining through a window, and a simple and inexpensive cool white LED pocket flashlight.

The overall look was created by the use of a light painting technique with a 2-second exposure. Moving the flashlight on the top of the table created the texture and blue cast, while the diffused backlight from the window illuminated the food.

Final Thoughts

I guess light in photography is not what you start with, but what you make out of it. Once you know the rules, you can adapt yourself to what you’ve got and transform a bad lighting situation into great images.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, as trial and error is the best way to success. Use and abuse natural light, after all, it is free and is for sure different every day!

The post How to Use Natural Light for Macro Photography by Ivo Guimaraes appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

December 19, 2017
Putting the Fine Art into Travel Photography

“Fine Art” when it comes to travel photography is not an often used term and few photographers define themselves as “fine art travel photographers”. Genre definitions in photography can be highly subjective, and the fine art line can be very fine indeed. For me as a travel shooter, the fine art approach is just a natural extension of who I am and how I see and share the world through my images.

Vietnam is one of my favorite places to photograph, not only because of its remarkable aesthetic qualities but because of my great fondness for its people. And so when asked talk about my photography through the fine art lens, using Vietnam as the focal point was an easy choice to make.

Flower H’mong mother and daughter walking a rice terrace berm in Mu Cang Chai, northern Vietnam. Exposure settings: f/4, 1/2000th, ISO 400, 70mm lens.

Fishermen resting. Shot from a bridge near Lang Co Bay. Exposure settings: f/8, 1/320th, ISO 800, 56mm lens.

The Fine Art of Travel Photography – People and Landscapes

Fine art photography, at least the way I see it, is about focusing on a specific style or look that reoccurs in every image with a goal to create aesthetically pleasing and engaging work.

Fine art travel photography implies that each travel-themed photo is of a very high artistic standard with consistent consideration to an effective composition, use of tonal range (lights and darks), and a balanced or focused color scheme throughout the photo.

Personally, I use natural light, and again, approach a photo to be a work of art. The goal is to create a visually striking image that looks similar to what a painter might have created, while still also looking completely like a photograph.

Fishing amidst the thousands of karst limestone formations of fabled Ha Long Bay. Exposure settings: f/9, 1/200th, ISO 800, 35mm lens.

Four fishermen raise their nets on the Perfume River in Hue, central coastal Vietnam. Exposure settings: f/11, 1/160th, ISO 800, 30mm lens.

Showcase the people and culture

I aim to do this while still faithfully representing a country’s culture, with the goal to accurately, if ideally, portray the personality and lives of the people within the photos. I have always been most interested in the artistic side of travel photography, and less so in the traditional or documentary approach.

That said, I can see myself taking on more singularly focused projects in the future, where I can apply my artistic sense to the challenges of documentary storytelling within the travel space.

A Khmer-Vietnamese monk daydreams at his monastery window in the Meklong Delta region. Exposure settings: f/4, 1/125th, ISO 640, 40mm lens.

Set your intention of making art

Although it may seem obvious, I think it’s critically important when adopting the fine art style to have the intention of making art throughout the process – from preparation to post-production. I take this mindset into the field and shoot a variety of subjects in various ways.

Portraiture is my first love, but I also enjoy landscape, wildlife, and cultural documentary photography. The purpose is to showcase scenes of life and culture for others to observe and enjoy. And of course I enjoy it as well, or I wouldn’t be doing it!

Ladies from the Cham ethnic group in Phan Rang having their own water festival. Exposure settings: f/36, 1/15th, ISO 400, 90mm lens.

Vietnamese lady wearing the traditional white “Ao Dai” and Non La (conical hat), Saigon. Exposure settings: f/4, 1/125th, ISO 640, 70mm lens.

Have a vision and shoot with a purpose

In each work, I try to have a vision and understand what the photo will be about and how it will look in my mind before I take it. There is nothing in the frame that shouldn’t be there – everything included serves a purpose.

I also like to look for patterns in the scenes and feature these in the composition. Careful composition allows for clean backgrounds, no unnecessary distractions from the subject, and a clear focal point that is immediately identifiable against a complementary background that helps to tell the story or set the mood for the piece.

Below is some insight into how I approached photographing some of my favorite Vietnam images taken over the last few years.

Forever in Love

“Forever in Love” – A loving couple in Hoi An share a moment of joy and happiness together in their garden as the sun sets. At the time of photography, they had been married for 66 years. Exposure settings: f/7.1, 1/200th, ISO 500, 50mm lens.

I met a fellow travel photographer who now resides in Vietnam, Réhahn Croquevielle, and he generously invited to show me around his hometown of Hoi An. I was lucky to meet a lovely old couple who live in his village. When I met them they were smiling widely and happy be photographed by us.

To take this photo, I first observed the direction of light. Then I made sure to position them in front of the setting sunlight so their faces would be bright and the details on their skin well exposed.

I also had to consider the background and overall scene, and I found an area near one of their vegetable patches which was clean (consistent colors and even patterns without clutter) while also providing context and a backstory for the couple. So I asked them to sit there. They found this all very funny and were laughing constantly as we kept the mood light and fun, which I think is important to help make subjects enjoy a portrait session.

Interesting subject matter is the most important element to a successful photograph, in my opinion, followed by good composition and lighting. But a background that complements and doesn’t distract from the focal point is also crucial for a powerful photograph, and perhaps too often overlooked.

Playing in a Sea of Fishing Nets

A happy boy playing in a blue sea of fishing nets in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. Exposure settings: f/8, 1/250th, ISO 500, 24mm lens.

I was in search of a workshop where fishing nets are made by hand in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. When I arrived, I noticed a boy and his friends were curious about my presence and wanted to meet me and help out if they could. They led me to the net weaving shop, which was a large open-ended structure with a corrugated tin roof.

Inside were seated ladies spread about busily creating these nets. I was immediately struck by the blue color and knew it would be very photogenic, but it was important to get the right light to make them come to life. I noticed all the ladies were in shaded, darker areas where the light wasn’t strong enough. There was an area that was close to an opening in the rooftop, under a natural skylight. I saw that the light was good there, but without a human subject the photo wouldn’t be so interesting.

Since I had created a rapport with the boy and his friends and they were still hanging around, I encouraged them to play in the fishing nets. Demonstrating myself, I ran and jumped into the nets, making everyone laugh, and the kids started to do the same themselves. I captured this photo knowing that the frame had to be filled with the blue fishing nets to bring attention to the boy. It’s his genuine smile and action that makes this photo all the more interesting and enjoyable to view.

Patterns on the Streets of Hanoi

A busy street scene in Hanoi photographed from a bridge on a rainy morning. Exposure settings: f/14, 1/40th, ISO 1250, 35mm lens.

It was raining one morning that I was to be exploring the city of Hanoi, which could have been considered a problem for photography. I went to the Long Bien Bridge after visiting a nearby market and observed the traffic passing by underneath me. I saw the potential for a really interesting pattern of cyclists with the high volume of motorbike traffic and the occasional bicycle. The rain had stopped, but the wet roads were creating reflections which would ultimately be beneficial and make for more dynamic lighting in the picture.

I waited a long time and photographed many combinations and patterns of commuters. I felt it was important to have an interesting focal point that was different from the rest of the scene. That was either going to be a person walking across the road or riding a bicycle amongst the sea of cars and other traffic.

I decided to use a slightly slower shutter speed to blur the traffic and capture the human subject sharper than the surroundings. It took a lot of patience and time on the bridge to finally capture an interesting pattern. It was fun to find the art in simple, everyday life.

Old Man with a Lute

Exposure settings: f/4, 1/160th, ISO 1000, 70mm lens.

I met this old man in the small idyllic village of Ninh Binh where he was walking by a lake. When he learned that I would like to make his portrait, he invited me into his home close by. We drank some tea and I spent some time together with his family.

Before I photograph someone, I always look around the scene and try to find the right place where I will take their picture, depending on the lighting and the background. I noticed near a window there was strong natural light coming into his otherwise dark home, and I placed a chair in this spot for him to sit. There was enough light on the man to not require a tripod in this position.

I noticed an old lute hanging on the wall. I found out that it was his and he could play, so I asked if he could show me. As he played, I took some pictures, but I noticed that the light would be stronger on his face, which is the main focal point if he were looking out the window. The breeze from the window blew his beard gently to one side, creating some movement in this portrait of an interesting, old and very friendly Vietnamese man who I was privileged to meet and photograph.

Here are a few more example images of my fine art travel photography.

The post Putting the Fine Art into Travel Photography by David Lazar appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

December 18, 2017
5 Tips for Doing Portrait Photography in Busy Locations

I live in London and it’s a pretty big city with an array of location choices when it comes to portrait photography. There are beautiful parks, many are vast and rolling, dotted around the city; you almost feel like the country is never more than an hour away. There are canals and rivers with boats and ships within easy reach. There are hilltops offering astounding views of the rising skyline and various parts of the city. And of course, there’s architecture that’s so impressive weaving itself across the city, the fabric of London life with a culturally diverse population traversing the criss-cross of alleys and roads. It’s a fast and busy place.

Some of my couples prefer such busy locations that remind them of the hustle and bustle of the place or of icons and landmarks that they love. Here are 5 tips for you on how to photograph a portrait while walking through a busy city. Embrace the buzz of activity, the age-old structures and new glass skyscrapers that loom over you as you go about your daily business of life, work, and play.

#1 Scout out the location and look for pockets of photo spots

Communicate with your portrait clients and give them some location ideas and options from which they can choose. Get them involved in the process as this helps them get excited, look forward to the photoshoot and own it too!

This is also a good opportunity to discuss outfits, as clothing is really important to the overall look and feel of the images. For this photoshoot, we had an area in mind, but with two very different locations in terms of ambiance and style.

Originally the couple wanted an old ruined church which has stunning walls and old architecture and some greenery. This also gave a really cozy country feel, soft light, and almost enchanting ambiance. However, they had already decided on their outfits and had bought them specifically. I felt that these outfits would work better in a fun city walk photoshoot rather than the old church ruins.

Match the location to the subjects

Just a stone’s throw away was the Leadenhall Market. It is built-up, old, colorful, busy and with a very city-feel, yet smart too. I suggested to them this would be the perfect location and after thinking about it they agreed. The forecast was also rainy and the market is a covered area so that was a good option for shelter.

The main idea was to walk the streets in this part of town and find pockets of photo spots that appealed to them. I know the area well as I shoot quite a few weddings in the city, so I was able to lead them to areas where I thought there were interesting spots to make portraits.

It’s a nice experience walking the streets, being part of the everyday goings-on, the mundane and the special alike.

We were also specifically on the lookout for British icons and landmarks as the couple was visiting from America. So we asked Waterstones, a British book retailer if we could take some pictures inside. They agreed. This leads me on nicely to my next tip…

#2 Incorporate icons and landmarks

We chose boutique shops and food stops that were traditional and well-known in the area and used their shop windows as backdrops. Incidentally, the guy’s name is Tom and we passed this quaint Bar called Old Tom’s Bar – just a perfect location for him.

It’s important that you know a little about what your couple likes so you keep your eyes peeled for anything that appeals to them. In this case, Tom is English and he likes his beer so we stopped by the Tavern for a drink!

Get permission

There are places where it would be wise for you to ask permission first before going in for some photos. Usually, the shopkeepers are helpful and allow you to do so if you are quiet, non-disruptive and quick. However, others refuse and that is perfectly fine – don’t take it personally.

In the market, there was a lady shining shoes. She had a traditional shoe-shine set-up which would have been perfect for some photos, but she refused consent so we didn’t push. Other places are public and open and you can take snaps, just like any tourist would, to your heart’s content. The spot on the left is one such place. The photo on the right was taken from across the road, a fair distance to the building as permission is needed if you go too close!

#3 Leverage the busy-ness

There is just no getting away from people on crowded, busy streets. Often, it’s a waiting and asking game. You either wait for people to walk past and clear your space, or you ask them to move away. Again, politely and with great gratitude, if they happily oblige.

You can leverage this busy-ness by incorporating motion into your images such as this one below. It could take several attempts to get it right as this can be a very difficult setup with no planning ahead or anticipation of what is to come.

Of course, if things don’t go to plan in shots such as this, there is always Photoshop!

Adding motion with a long exposure and blurred moving objects can add a sense of the hustle and bustle of the city to your images.

#4 Do something fun and quirky

Keep the photoshoot lighthearted and fun by finding some unusual spots and asking your couple to do some quirky things if they are open to that. Like this image below standing in between the huge exhaust installations with the BEL-AIR sign in the background pretending to get blown away! Don’t forget to capture some safe, normal shots too like the one below it, just in case.

We found this old chapel with sculptures (below) and thought it would be funny if they copied the poses of the sculptures as another quirky shot. This turned out to be one of their favorite spots from the day too.

The photoshoot is more than just taking pictures, it is an experience as well, so aim to make it easy and fun.

#5 End on a high note

As you are shooting, don’t forget to include “indicators” in your conversations as to how far you are into your photoshoot, what other plans you may have in terms of location or shots such as individuals, action, walking away, etc. Tell them how far along you are into your plan, if you are are already nearing the end of the shoot, whether this is this your last location and your last shots, and when it’s a wrap.

Couples appreciate knowing where the markers are in the photoshoot. Some people just cannot handle more than half an hour so markers and indicators help them through it. Others like long photoshoots that could well run beyond the agreed duration and you need to keep tabs on your time so these markers work well for you too. As much as possible though, do not look at your watch!!!

Lastly, end on a high note with lots of laughter if possible. If you achieve this, it greatly helps in reinforcing good photoshoot memories so that there will be a “next time” for another photoshoot with you! Your couple will look back at this day and remember good vibes, not so much the other trying parts like the weather, how cold it was, the hassle of waiting for people to get out of the way, and so forth. When you show your couples their image gallery, end with happy photos too! And that’s a wrap!!

I hope you enjoyed this little article and do share any tips you may have which have not been covered above!

The post 5 Tips for Doing Portrait Photography in Busy Locations by Lily Sawyer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

December 18, 2017
Why Every Photographer Needs a 24-70mm Lens
Fondly known as the “walk around lens” by professionals and hobbyists alike, the 24-70mm lens is the staple of any photography kit! A lens that offers diversity and functionality, its range makes the 24-70mm lens a remarkable companion for a vast array of photo shoots. From wide captures to close-up portraits, and everything in between, this lens is one that many photographers jump for immediately.

Camera brands such as Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, Sigma, and Tamron understand this and have offered a rather wonderful selection of 24-70mm lenses from which to choose. Several professionals actually own more than one 24-70mm, as this lens has the potential of becoming the most used glass in your photographic arsenal.

Why? Well, it’s awesome of course! The benefits of the 24-70mm lens are as priceless as our love for it. Here are some of the reasons why you want to have this lens in your bag.

No Learning Curve

The focal range of the 24-70mm lens is greatly inspired by the human eye. As such, this lens allows brand new photographers to learn with more ease than some other types of lenses due to its lack of distortion.

It is much easier to study composition when you can photograph similarly to how your eye sees naturally. Some wide angle lenses have a curve to the glass, which causes the subjects to warp when improperly photographed. The 24mm aspect of this lens offers no ultra-wide angle distortion while still offering a rather wide capture, perfect for simply concentrating on the best arrangement of elements.

There is equally little trouble with the rest of the focal range. The range passes through 50mm, a commonly used focal length for portraiture. The 70mm offers a very nice zoomed close-up. This lens is a great stepping stone to a variety of focal lengths, such as the 70-200mm lens.

Close Focusing Abilities

This lens is absolutely excellent for a subject that happens to be in close proximity to the glass. The minimum focusing distance does vary depending on models, but it averages 38 centimeters (15 inches) from the glass. To give perspective on how close this is, the average focusing distance for most lenses is 48 centimeters (19 inches), although this is affected by whether your camera is full frame or not, the type of lens, etc.

Although the 24-70mm is not a macro lens (whose minimum focusing distances are around 20 centimeters), it can still take beautiful close-up photographs of flowers and other favorite macro subjects.

Versatile Range

Arguably the most important benefit of the 24-70mm lens is its versatility. The range offers limitless possibilities, with an added boost of immense adaptability in the face of various photo shoots.

You can easily go from a wide angle to a zoom with this beauty, acclimating as quickly as your subjects change. This lens also allows you to capture a large variety of shots per session without the need to consistently change your lens. Considering our photography game with clients is primarily speed and efficiency, the 24-70mm will quickly become your best friend for this reason alone.

The versatility allows you to pack just this one lens when you go gallivanting across the world on vacations or destination shoots, an ideal prospect in and of itself. The 24-70mm lens is also a favorite of wedding photographers, as it allows them to capture precious moments without lapsing to change out gear. As previously touched upon, the focal range also covers the significant focal lengths in the photography world, such as the 50mm and the 70mm.

Robust and Comfortable Build

Most 24-70mm lenses are rather robust little creations, with a comfortable build to last. Knowing that this lens is referred to as the walk around lens, most brands have ensured that your faithful companion is able to outlast most of your adventures.

From weather protection offered by some manufacturers, to solid and sturdy bodies, the 24-70mm is ready for most anything you can throw at it. This lens is also rather comfortable to hold, considering it isn’t very long nor terribly short.

Size

Of course, we cannot discuss build without talking about size. At an average size of 3.28 x 3.28 x 4.86 inches and weight of approximately 2 pounds (900g), the 24-70mm is neither the largest nor the heaviest lens on the market. Quite the contrary, this lens happens to fit into most cases and isn’t the world’s worst hassle to carry.

In comparison to the rest of my kit, my 50mm (f/1.2) lens weighs more despite being shorter. To add even more praise, I have been easily able to put this lens with a camera body into a regular old purse. The amount of use and adaptability you can accomplish with this lens greatly outweighs any physical burdens of transporting it and many would argue that this lens is the same size as the average, most common lenses.

Now that the 24-70mm has (hopefully) won you over, there comes the burden of choosing which one to get. There are a variety of different 24-70mm lenses, ranging not just by brand, but also by aperture and weight. Here are some, just to name a few:

Canon

Canon’s collection of lenses is home to the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, and Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Lens. The f/2.8 aperture version is the most commonly seen 24-70mm lens, due to its beautiful depth of field and low light capabilities (remember, the wider the aperture, the more light the lens lets in!).

The EF 24-70mm f/2.8L (above left) is the predecessor of the newer EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM (above middle), and those on a budget may do well looking into the original lens which landed an iconic spot in Canon’s lineup. The updated version features improvements to image sharpness, vignetting, and AF speed. That being said, these improvements come at a rather substantial price tag. When pairing with a camera body that features advanced auto-focus systems, the version II is significantly faster than its predecessor. However, if you own one of the older bodies, you won’t see a significant difference. Like version I, version II features weather sealing with a front filter in place, which separates this lens from its competitors.

Canon’s EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Lens (above right) is another option. Although it does not feature a 2.8 aperture, the addition of image stabilization may sway some to purchase this version. Some of the benefits of this lens over its f/2.8 companion are reduced size/weight, image stabilization, and much lower cost. Another huge benefit is maximum magnification (MM). The 24-70 f/4L IS features an impressive 0.70x magnification (compared to 0.21x for the 24-70L II) which means it can double as a macro lens in a pinch.

Nikon

Nikon has the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR ($ 2396 USD) and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm F2.8G ED ($ 1796 USD), with a $ 600 difference between them (at the time of writing this article). The 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR is on the larger size of the 24-70mm array of lenses, being an inch longer than its predecessor and a bit wider. However, both of these lenses are extremely sharp in practical use, a wonderful testament to the models. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of vignetting at the wider apertures. The f/2.8E ED VR version features image stabilization and vibration reduction, unlike the 24-70mm F2.8G ED.

Tamron

Tamron is home to their 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD Lens, which is still one of the only f/2.8 24-70mm lenses with image stabilization. Tamron’s vibration control system allows this lens up to 4-stops of camera shake compensation. The ability of this lens to capture sharp images of static subjects in low light is extremely beneficial, given its low light capability. This lens is also significantly more cost-effective than the Canon lenses. Sadly, you can expect anywhere from 2-3 stops vignetting on a full-frame camera, wide open, depending on the focal length. However, this lens is quite sharp and was noted to out-perform Nikon’s 24-70mm not too long ago. Unfortunately, the AF has been said to not always be consistent.

Note: Read reviews for lenses before you make any decisions.

Sigma

Sigma has the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM ART. This lens is significantly heavier than some of the other 24-70mm lenses mentioned, primarily the Canon 2.8 version II. The build quality is excellent given the comparatively affordable price tag. This lens features built-in vibration reduction just like the Tamron equivalent, and a minimum focusing distance of 37 centimeters.

For more on other 24-70mm lenses see these dPS reviews and comparisons:
- Lens Comparison 24-70mm f/2.8 Canon Versus Tamron
- Field Test and Thoughts: Tamron 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens
- Writer’s Favourite Lens – Nikon 24-70 mm F2.8
Your turn

Now that you’ve learned of the wonders of this charming lens, what are you waiting for?!

Have you used a 24-70mm lens before? What are your favorite things about it? Please share in the comments below.

The post Why Every Photographer Needs a 24-70mm Lens by Anabel DFlux appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
December 17, 2017
Transform Your Images with a Click – 62% off these Lightroom Presets Today
We’re at day 5 of our dPS 12 Days of Christmas and today we have one that we know many of you who use Lightroom will LOVE. It’s 62% off any of our Lightroom Presets bundles!

If you have ever looked at other people’s beautiful images and have wondered, “Why don’t mine look like that?” Then you’ll find todays deals perfect for you.

These beautiful presets have been created by some of our favourite photographers to save you a whole lot of processing time.

They will help you convert your photos from average to amazing with just one click.

Here’s the deal – 101 Lightroom Presets for just $ 19 USD:

Normally $ 49 – today you can pick up any one of these 101 presets packs for just $ 19 USD (62% off).

101 Lightroom Presets by Cole Joseph – to take your landscapes and people photos from average to amazing… including 7 high quality collections

101 LANDSCAPES Lightroom Presets by Todd and Sarah Sisson – for all scenery seasons including a bonus toolbox of stackable presets

101 Lightroom PORTRAITS Presets by Rachel Devine – including 67 different presets and 36 different portrait brushes

These collections have been created exclusively for dPS by professional photographers to make your photos “pop” and save you time getting the look you want.

With these collections and a few clicks in Lightroom, people will be wondering why their images are not as stunning as yours!

Each one contains 101 presets – at just $ 19 USD that’s around 18 cents per preset. Whether you just grab the one pack or all three you’ll love todays deal.

Bonus Parter Offers

Anyone who picks up any of the offers during these 12 days of offers gets to take advantage of your exclusive DPS Christmas Deals Bonus Offers, like todays featured bonus where you can pick up Perfectly Clear Complete for just $ 89 USD.
Christmas Deals:
Bonus Offers

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The post Transform Your Images with a Click – 62% off these Lightroom Presets Today by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
December 17, 2017